Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this very important and serious issue in his constituency. I am replying on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Leo Varadkar, and thank the Senator for giving me the opportunity to address it in the House.

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads are the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on these roads are funded from local authorities' own resources supplemented by State road grants paid by my Department. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for local authorities. The Minister announced regional and local road grant allocations for the current year on 30 January last. A total of €376 million is being provided under the regional and local roads investment programme this year. From that allocation, Waterford County Council is being provided with over €9 million. The level of grants allocated to individual local authorities is determined having regard to a number of factors. These include the total funds available in a particular year; eligibility criteria for the different road grant schemes; road pavement conditions; length of road network; the need to prioritise projects; and competing demands from other local authorities. In determining the annual grant allocations, the overall objective remains to supplement the resources provided by each local authority in a fair and appropriate manner.

Last month Waterford County Council wrote to the Department seeking additional funding of €2.5 million for the repair of roads in the Lismore area which had been damaged as a result of extensive rain and flooding. The council was informed that my Department would facilitate any revision it wished to make to its 2012 specific improvement grant allocation in order to accommodate rehabilitation works on roads damaged by the recent bad weather and floods and the deferral to 2013 of less critical works. The council was also informed that the 2012 regional and local road grants had been fully allocated. Given the current financial position, there are no further funds available from which an allocation for these works could be made. It should be noted that the Department's current and capital expenditure is ahead of profile and that it is highly unlikely there will be any savings or unspent funding by the year end. Capital expenditure is actually €46 million ahead of profile, while current expenditure is €48 million ahead of profile.

Between 2002 and 2012, Waterford County Council spent more than €168.7 million on regional and local roads. Of these moneys, 76%, or €128.2 million, was provided through State grants, with the remaining 24%, or €40.5 million, coming from the council's own resources. In view of the current economic difficulties, it is vital that local authorities prioritise increased expenditure from their own resources on their roads programmes. Each authority must carefully reassess its provision in light of the impact of the weather on road networks.